SEASONED British hacks reckon England's World Cup trip is in danger of making history as the most unsuccessful in living memory.

A tour that began with a low-key victory over Papua New Guinea has gone from bad to worse with both Australia and New Zealand exposing short-comings in the English team.

It does not get much worse than waiting for the result of Australia's final group game against Papua New Guinea to confirm England's participation in the knockout stages.

The organisers could hardly have made it easier for England to reach the last four, with all but one of the four pool A teams going through to the semi-finals, yet Tony Smith's men were left sweating on the outcome of the game in Townsville.

Few observers expected England to win the World Cup but the dire nature of their performances have come as a major shock to even their most ardent supporters.

A 3-0 Test series whitewash of the Kiwis last year clearly fostered unrealistic expectations.

If England's displays have been embarrassing, the attempts by coach Tony Smith to make excuses for them have been even more excruciating.

Whinging

Smith's blast at refereeing decisions was a joy for the Australian newspaper headline writers who typically labelled England “Whinging Poms” and it is difficult to argue with them.

Smith would have won more admirers had he been critical of the performances of several of his key players or even accepted the blame for some dubious tactical decisions.

Of course, Smith could still have the last laugh if his side pull off a backs-to-the-wall triumph over the Kiwis in Brisbane on Saturday but the signs do not look encouraging.

Away from the so-called super group, the World Cup has continued to throw up more heroes and tales of daring-do.
Stanley Gene has become a much-loved figure during his 10 years in Super League and his cult status has quickly spread to Australia following his valiant efforts for Papua New Guinea in the group of death.

His tear-jerking interview with Andrew Johns at the end of the Kumuls' defeat by Australia, which brought the curtain down on his amazing international career, melted the hearts of thousands of television viewers.

The big winners, of course, have been Fiji, who are able to boast the most players from their own domestic competition.

Fairytale

The little-known Batis combined with a host of NRL stars to win through to a fairytale semi-final duel with Australia in Sydney on Sunday and then put it all down to their trust in God.

The Fijian players' superb rendition of a hymn provided abiding memories of their semi-final qualifying win over plucky Ireland while further evidence of their religious beliefs surfaced when the team pastor delivered the post-match talk to the players on the pitch.

While England limped into the semi-finals, Ireland and Scotland packed their bags for the return home but their inspired performances helped lift the home nations' gloom.

The Scots broke their duck with victory over Fiji, just two hours after Ireland had hammered glamour team Samoa.
If the organisers come up with a World Cup XIII, Ireland winger Damien Blanch ought to be a shoe-in, not only for his hat-trick of tries against Tonga but for his scintillating solo effort against Fiji.

But spare a thought for Ireland captain Simon Grix, who was unable to catch the team's return flight home today on medical advice after being concussed during his side's 30-14 defeat.
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